Just weeks before the start of the appeal proceedings against former Raiffeisen chief executive Pierin Vincenz, a new legal dispute is taking shape. The Zurich High Court has rejected a request to stay the proceedings, thereby taking a considerable risk.
Pierin Vincenz, the former CEO of Raiffeisen, as he appeared before the district court in 2022. (Image: Keystone)
Wednesday, 24 June 2026 05:41
The Pierin Vincenz case is one of the largest white-collar criminal proceedings in recent Swiss history. After the Zurich District Court convicted the former Raiffeisen CEO in April 2022 of multiple counts of aggravated criminal mismanagement, fraud, and passive bribery, sentencing him to 45 months in prison, the judgment was later overturned by the Zurich High Court. The court identified serious procedural deficiencies and initially referred the matter back to the public prosecutor's office.
However, Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court overturned that decision in early 2025 and reinstated the first-instance judgment. This cleared the way for appeal proceedings before the High Court.
